Expiring Tax Credit Threatens Wind Boom
Texas is the top wind power state, but the expiration of a key tax credit at the end of this year could significantly impact the state, which contains about a fifth of the nation’s turbines. Full Story
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![Stacks of huge blades, destined to go to wind farms in the United States, arrive at the Port of Houston docks on Sept. 6, 2012.]()
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Environmental Groups: Commission Stalling on Clean Energy
Environmental groups filed a petition on Wednesday accusing the state's Public Utility Commission of failing to meet renewable energy targets and thus depriving the state of more solar and geothermal power. Full Story
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![A solar field provides power for a water heating system and xeriscaping on a Fort Bliss Army installation.]()
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Billionaire's Firm Makes Initial Payments in Deal Over Radioactive Dump
Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons' Waste Control Specialists, which runs a radioactive waste dump in Andrews County, has made its first payments to the county and state after years of controversy. Full Story
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Perry Staffer Named Railroad Commission Executive Director
Milton Rister, a former Republican political operative who is currently a member of the governor’s senior staff, will become the new executive director of the Texas Railroad Commission. Full Story
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Fear of Regulations Pervades a Small, Struggling Town
Oil may dominate in Texas, but coal is still king in some small towns. That's why talk of stricter air pollution regulations in towns like Jewett — where the economy is already stagnant — puts some residents on edge. Full Story
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Deferred Maintenance Imperils State Parks
Fall weather may bring more Texans outside, but delayed maintenance and years of cuts have left state parks and historical sites struggling — and some on the verge of closure. Full Story
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Fight Over Salamanders a Preview of Debates to Come
A federal proposal to list four Central Texas salamanders as endangered species has provoked a fierce debate about how humans affect the natural world. But the back-and-forth also foreshadows future fights likely to take place as more species come up for review. Full Story
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Electricity Concerns Persist After Pollution Ruling
With temperatures projected to soar during the final days of August, the state of the Texas electric grid will once again be on policymakers’ minds — though some reliability concerns may be eased since a federal court struck down an EPA rule that could have affected coal plants. Full Story
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At Senate Hearing, a Debate Over Renewable Energy Incentives
At a Senate hearing on Thursday, Texas Public Utility chairwoman Donna Nelson sharply criticized renewable energy incentives, saying that they are “one of the primary causes” of the current strains on the state power grid. Full Story
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Interactive Map: Public Water System Shortages
The drought that began in October 2010 has continued into 2012, and it has taken a toll on Texas' water supplies. This map shows communities that are at risk of running out of water within 180 days. Full Story
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Texas Sees Growing List of Property-Rights Cases
A Texas farmer's battle to keep the Keystone XL oil pipeline off her property is only the most visible of what some legal experts describe as a rising tide of property-rights cases across Texas. Full Story
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Forged in Flames: An Oral History of the Labor Day Wildfires
A year ago, much of Central Texas was in danger because of raging wildfires. Drought-sticken green spaces had provided the perfect tinder for far-reaching blazes. These are the stories of Central Texans who lived through the Labor Day wildfires. Full Story
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In Texas, Moving Crude Relies on Aging Pipeline System
Starting last year, federal regulators began urging pipeline operators to replace aging systems. Nowhere may that be more critical than in Texas, which is experiencing a major change in how crude oil is flowing up and down the state. Full Story
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Bastrop Park's Planting Campaign Puts Emphasis on Seed Banking
The Texas Forest Service wants to plant 4 million loblolly pine seedlings in Bastrop State Park over the next few years, to help restore the forest after last year's fires. But stored seedlings were almost thrown out ahead of the fires. Full Story
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Court Rulings Reflect a Losing Streak for Abbott
The state's top lawyer has filed a pile of lawsuits against the federal government. Two decisions last week — on redistricting maps and the state's voter ID law — went against Attorney General Greg Abbott and the state. Full Story
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Two Units at Major Texas Coal-Fired Power Plant to Shut
Texas will lose about 1 percent of its power supply over the winter and spring as Luminant temporarily shuts two units at its 1970s-era Monticello coal plant. The company blamed low power prices. Full Story
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Space-Tech Cameras May Help Spot Wildfires
In the year since wildfires destroyed thousands of homes across Central Texas, officials have looked for ways to reduce the threat of fires. They've since found one, in technology developed not for fighting fires but for exploring outer space. Full Story
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![Cameras developed for analyzing comet tails might also serve as early wildfire detection.]()
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Solar Power Could Aid Texas Electric Grid, Officials Say
Texas lags in solar-power development, and lawmakers have been reluctant to promote it with incentives. Nonetheless, solar power can play a role in aiding Texas’ strained electric grid, industry officials and regulators said at a meeting in San Antonio. Full Story
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A Year After Fires, Communities Focus on Prevention
Sept. 4 marks one year since wildfires ravaged Central Texas, causing officials and residents to rethink how they manage their land. Since then, some communities have taken it upon themselves to make their surroundings safer in the event of another wildfire. Full Story
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Central Texans Recount an Escape From Roaring Fires
Nearly a year after wildfires tore through Central Texas, Spicewood residents Melvin Pulver and Debbie Opdahl recount how Pulver survived the Pedernales fire Sept. 4 through quick thinking and a little luck. Full Story
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![Melvin Pulver of Spicewood lost his mobile home and everything else in the fire a year ago.]()
Credit: Reshma Kirpalani/KUT News
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